Automatic card-exhibiting device.



J. 0. SMITH. AUTOMATIG CARD EXHIBITING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, 1911.

1,094,607. Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

5, SHEETSSHEET l.

WITNESSES:

2131 6 z 6 1 Arrok/vn l/V VE IV TOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPHI co., WASHING-row, r c.

J. 0. SMITH.

AUTOMATIC CARD EXHIBITING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 10, 1911.

1,094,607. Patented Apr.28, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: IIVVENTOR Maw. 62/4.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, 1911.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

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IN VE N TOR .1 asmz'zh.

WITNESSES.-

Arm/My COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co..wASH|NOToN, D. c

J. G. SMITH.

AUTOMATIC CARD EXHIBITING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 0()T.10I 1911.

1,094,607. I Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

I I 1 MI I W all 69 Z 66 WITNESSES: l/Vl/E/VTUR Mu) (2 ,44 7/ ATTOPNEX COLUMBIA PLANOGRAIH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. G. SMITH.

AUTOMATIC CARD EXHIBITING DEVICE.

APPLICATION IILED 001210, 1911.

Patented A-pr.28,191L

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

INVENTOR J C Smz'ih.

ATTO'RNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,\VASH1NGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE CGNRAD SMITH, OF KANSAS CITY MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC CARD-EXHIBITING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn CONRAD SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Card-EXhibiting Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

My invention relates to an automatic card exhibiting device and more particularly to a device of that character for use in connection with ink wells; the principal object of the invention being to provide mechanism whereby a card is automatically brought into view when a pen is dipped into the ink well.

It is a further object of the invention to provide card holding and actuating devices whereby a plurality of cards may be carried through a supporting mechanism and reversed aiter each exhibition, in order that both faces of the card may be used.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a motor for actuating the movable parts of the device, and connection between the motor and the ink well, whereby the former is energized when the latter is used.

In accomplishing these and other objects which will be hereinafter described, I have provided the improved details of structure pointed out in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a perspective view of an automatic card exhibiting device constructed according to my invention. Fig. II is a rear perspective of the working parts of the device, the motor case and ink well being removed. Fig. III is a longitudinal section of same, showing the ink well and a part of the circuit. Fig. IV is a circuit diagram. Fig. V is a perspective view of the battery case showing contacts. Fig. VI is a detail view of one of the grooved card supporting plates. Fig. VII is an enlarged detail view of a part of one of the lifting arms and the hook rod mounting. Fig. VIII is a detail view of one of the card lifting hooks. Fig. IX is a vertical section of the ink well. Fig. X is a cross section of the neck of the well,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 10, 1911.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914. Serial No. 653,855.

on the line XX, Fig. IX. Fig. XI is a cross section of the entire well on the line XI-XI, Fig. IX. Fig. XII is an inverted perspective view of the dipping cup. Fig. XIII is a section on the line XIII-XIII, Fig. XII, and Fig. XIV a section on the line XIVXIV, Fig. XII, showing the circuit making parts. Fig. XV is a perspective view of the supporting collar, showing contacts. Fig. XVI is a perspective View of the well body, showing contacts for ground and battery posts. Fig. XVII is a vertical section, showing one of the well posts. Fig. XVIII is a side elevation of a part of the motor and the driving gear. Fig. XIX is a plan view of same.

Referring more in detail to the parts 1 designates a raised base having a forward vertical guide flange 2 termin a seat for an ink well 3, and also provided with a rear flange 4: that forms a seat for a casing 5.

Located within the raised base 1 is an insulation casing 6 containing a battery B,

preferably of the dry cell type, and having terminal wires 7-8 which extend through insulation collars 7-8 in the top of the base, the terminal 7 being connected with a motor 9 of any suitable type and with an :electro-magnet 10 which are supported on the top of base 1, and the terminal 8 being grounded on said case as indicated in Fig.

II. Yieldingly mounted adjacent to the magnet 10 is an armature 11 having a post 12 extending thereabove, and having a spring finger 13 adapted for contact with a finger 14: extending above the magnet and havmg circuit connection with the motor through a wire 1 1". standard 15, adjacent to the armature, is a latch 16, having a hook end 17 adapted for engaging and locking the post 12 when the Pivotally mounted on a armature is closed with themagnet. and having a laterally directed pin 18. Revolubly mounted in standard 15 is a shaft 19, and rigidly mounted upon said shaft is a gear 20 and a collar 21, the latter having a boss 22 projecting from its periphery and adapted for engaging the pin 18 011 latch 16 to lift the latch out of contact with the armature so that the spring 12, which has been tensioned by the closing of the armature, may release same from the magnet. The motor 9 is ad justable in standards 23 and has a driving shaft 24; provided with a worm 25 that meshes with and is adapted for driving the gear 20; the motor being provided with a collar 26 having a set screw 27 bearing against the top of the base, whereby the position of the worm may be adjusted relative to the gear.

Referring now to the ink well :28 designates the well chamber, and 29-30 are vertical bores which extend up through the bottom of the well to near the top thereof. Located within the chamber 28 is a drum 31 which is supported above the bottom of the chamber by blocks 32 and has an opening 33 is its bottom through which ink may enter. The top of the drum is contracted to form a neck 34, which is provided with vertical grooves 35 on its inner surface. Fixed to the top of the well, within the chamber 28, is a ring 36, preferably of soft rubber, and seated within ring 36 is a collar 37 preferably of hard rubber and provided with a flange 38 which seats on the ring 36 and the top of the well. Seated on ring 37 is a dipping cup 39 having a concaved mouth terminating in a neck 10 that projects into the neck 3% of the ink drum 31. Located within the drum 31 is a float 42 having a plunger 43 extending up through the neck 34: and terminating immediately belowthe neck of the dipping cup, so that when the well contains ink the float is held in elevated position and the plunger closes the neck of the dipping cup. Located in the bottom of the ink drum 31 is a plate 44, preferably of glass, which is adapted for covering the aperture 33 in the bottom of the drum. Plate 4 1 is loose within the drum, so that it may be drawn up by suction of the float and is guided by standards 45 which are preferably formed integral with the drum. Mounted on the top of the body of drum 31 is a tube a6 having communication with the interior of the drum through a channel 17; the top of the tube terminating slightly below the body of the dipping cup 39. Slidably mounted within tube 46 is a plunger 48 which is preferably hollow and has a head 19 adapted to seat on the top of the tube and also adapted for engaging a leaf spring 50 which is mounted on the body of the dipping cup. A fixed portion of the spring 50 has circuit connection through the screw 51, collar 52 (Fig. XIV) and pin 53, with a plate 54 on the ring 37, which in turn contacts with a pin 55 that is located in the body of the well and is connected with a post 56 that is located in the vertical bore 29 within said well. The post 56 is hollow at its lower end (Fig. III) and has an insulated section extending through the top of base 1; the hollow portion containing a post 56' that is contacted by a circuit wire 57 which extends to and forms one terminal of the coil of the electro-magnet 10. A free portion of spring 50 has a contact point 58 (Fig. XIII), which is adapted for contact with a point 59 on a screw 60 carriedby ring 39, said screw being connected through pin 61 with a plate 5 1 on the ring 37 and through said plate with a pin 62 (Fig. XVI), with a post 63 in the second bore 30 of the ink well. The post 63 is grounded on the top of base 1 as indicated in the circuit diagram (Fig. IV).

Referring now to the card supporting and actuating mechanism, which is the principal feature of the invention 65 designates standards which are mounted on the top of base 1 back of the ink well. Fixed to the forward ends of the standards 65 are plates 66 having forward edges curved in an arc concentric with a shaft 67, which is jour' naled in arms 68 at the rear of the s andards 65; the tops of the plates being curved rearwardly and downwardly as illustrated in the principal figures. On the inner faces of plates 66 are grooves 69 having mouths 70 opening downwardly from upper points on said plates and having cup shaped lower portions, the mouths 71 of which open so as to provide vertical outlets from the base of the cupped portion of the grooves.

72 designates cards, each of which has a rod 73 at each horizontal edge, said rods having end portions projecting laterally beyond the side edges of the cards and adapted to bear on the curved edges of the plates 66 and pass through the groove 69. The corners of the cards are cut out to expose the rods on the inside of the plates 66 for a purpose presently set forth.

Fixed to the shaft 67 are arms 7d having slots 75. Attached to each of arms 74: by a screw 76 is a plate 77, and fixed in said plate is a rod 78 that extends across the device. Revolubly mounted on rod 78 are collars 79, to which are rigidly attached the hooks 80. Fixed on rod 78 are collars 81 having springs 82 fixed thereto and connected with the hooks 80, so that said hooks are yieldingly tensioned inwardly or toward engagement with the card rods as will presently be described,

Fixed on shaft 67 which carries arms 7 L is a toggle link 83 which connects with a link 8d that is eccentrically mounted on the gear 20 driven from the motor 9, so that when the motor is in operation the arms will be raised and lowered through the toggle gearing.

85 designates a stop which is preferably mounted on base 1 and has a forwardly projecting arm 86 adapted for engagement by cards when the latter are elevated to an exhibiting position, to hold each of the cards in view until a succeeding card is elevated.

When in use, presuming the parts to be assembled as described, a person using the ink well dips the point of his pen into the neck 40 of the dipping cup, so that it strikes the top of the plunger 13 and lowers the plunger, thereby lowering the float a2 and displacing ink within the drum. Such displacement forces ink up through the grooves 35 in the drum neck so that it flows over the top of the plunger and supplies the pen point. When the ink rises in neck 34 it also rises in the tube 46, lifting the plunger 48 and causing the head 49 to lift the spring 50 and cause the point 58 to contact with the the point 59, thereby closing a circuit through the electro-magnet 10, such circuit being as follows :-from the battery B through wire 7, the magnet 10, wire 57 post 56, pin 55, plate 54, pin 53, collar 52, screw 51, spring 50, screw 60, pin 61, plate 5e, post 63 to ground on the base 1. The second terminal 8 of the battery being grounded on the base, a circuit is completed which energizes the electro-magnet and draws the armature l1 thereto, thereby causing contact of the arms 13 and 14: and closing a circuit through the armature, said arms, and the wire to the motor, thereby energizing the motor so that it actuates the gear 20. hen the armature is drawn to the magnet, it is caught by the latch 16 and held in closed position to maintain the mo tor circuit, as such circuit would otherwise be broken as soon as ink in the well tube 46 resumes its normal position.

WVhen the gear 20 revolves it actuates the toggle 83 to actuate the shaft 67, which in turn rocks the arm 74. When the device is idle the arms 74 are in their lowered position, so that the shaft 78 is in front of the upper edges of the front card in the stack and the hooks 80 are below the ends of the card rods, as illustrated in Fig. I. When the motor starts to operate, the first action of the arm is to lift so that the hooks may take hold of the front card rod and lift same out of the groove 69, so that the rod is carried upwardly and the card lifted to sight position at the top. While the card is being lifted, the lower rod of the card drags on the front edges of the plate, so that when it reaches the upper mouths of the grooves 69, the ends drop thereinto. When the arms 74 have reached the upper limit of their travel and start downwardly, the card is supported at the lower edge by other cards in the stack and the lower rod of the card is held within the groove to prevent displacement. The downward movement of the arms then causes the hooks 80 to release the upper rod of the card, so that the card falls against the stop 86 and is held in sight position, the arms returning to their lower position ready for taking a succeeding card. As the arms reach their lowered position, the boss 22 on the gear wheel engages and lifts the latch 16 so that the armature is released and the circuit through the motor is broken. The device then remains inoperative until the writer again dips his pen in the 111k well, when a new circuit is closed and the operation described is repeated. It is apparent that should the ink well be used while the device is in operation, no damage will be done, as the contact making devices are already in touch.

The cards in the stack are supported by those therebeneath, so that as each card is lifted to sight position, the stack lowers until a card in such sight position has moved downwardly sufiicient to clear the stop 86, when the card will revolve on the rod 73 which is located in the groove 69, reversing the face of the card so that when again brought to a front position the face at the back of the card originally shown will be in front. By so reversing the cards, it is apparent that both faces of the card may be used, thereby saving considerable space,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1.. In an automatic card exhibiting device, spaced vertical plates having upwardly tending grooves in the lower portions of their inner faces, the lower ends of said grooves being cupped and both ends of said grooves having upwardly facing mouths opening through the edges of said plates, cards having rods at their horizontal edges projecting from the card ends and adapted for seating in said grooves, means for lifting a forward card to remove its hanger rod from the lower end of said groove and for dropping its opposite rod into the upper end of said groove, and a stop adjacent the upper ends of said plates for holding said card in a sight position when released from said lifting means, said cards being adapted for mutual support and for automatic forwarding movement upon the release of each front card whereby a previously exposed card is lowered out of contact with the stop, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic card exhibiting device, the combination with spaced vertical plates having facing upwardly tending grooves, in the lower portion thereof, the ends of said grooves being cupped and both ends of the grooves opening upwardly through the edges of said plates, a series of cards each having corner recesses and edge rods projecting from the card ends through said recesses, the projecting ends of said rods being adapted for projection into the plate grooves and for supporting said cards one upon another, oscillatory means for engaging the portion of the hanger rod of a forward card that is exposed by said corner recesses and for lift ing same out of the plate grooves and for elevating the card until the ends of the opposite rod drop into the upper ends of said plate grooves, said lifting mechanism being adapted for automatically releasing said card and dropping the upper end of same backwardly when the lower rod has dropped into said grooves, and a stop positioned above the plates for engaging the upper end of said card, said cards being adapted for mutual support and for guidance by the hanger rods whereby all of the cards are lowered when a forward card is removed, to lower the upper card out of contact with its stop, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with an ink well having a plunger in the mouth thereof, of a frame located adjacent to the ink well, cards freely mounted in said frame, mechanism for changing the position of said cards, an electric motor for actuating said mechanism, a magnet, an armature adapted for engagement with said magnet for closing a circuit through said motor, mechanical means for maintaining said circuit when the magnet has become deenergized, and means in combination with the ink well plunger for closin a circuit through the electromagnet, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with an ink well, having a plunger in the mouth thereof, of a grooved frame located adjacent said ink well and having a series of cards arranged within the grooved portions thereof, mechanism for changing the position of said cards,

an electric motor for actuating said mechanism, a magnet for closing the circuit through said motor, and mechanical means in combination with the ink well plunger for closing a circuit through the electromagnet.

5. The combination with a well having a plunger disposed in the mouth thereof, of a frame comprising spaced plates, having facing grooves, a series of cards mounted in said grooves, mechanism for changing the position of said cards, an electric motor for actuating said mechanism, an electromagnet for closing a circuit through said motor, mechanism operable by displacement of fluid in the ink well for making and breaking a circuit through the magnet, means for maintaining the motor circuit after the magnet is dcenergized, and mechanical means for breaking the motor circuit when the card actuating mechanism has completed a phase of operation.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE CONRAD SMITH. Witnesses:

MYRTLE M. JAcKsoN, ARTHUR W. Cars.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

